Methods and gaming tables for wagering games that permit rewagering

ABSTRACT

Methods of administering wagering games comprise accepting a first wager to participate in a first wagering game according to a first set of game rules. A second wager to participate in a second, different wagering game according to a second, different set of game rules is accepted. The second wager is resolved according to the second set of game rules. An instruction is accepted from each player who won the second wager to award at least a portion of winnings from the second wager directly to the player or to add at least a portion of winnings from the second wager to the first wager. The first wager is resolved according to the first set of game rules. Games of the present disclosure may be implemented as live card games, EGM games, multi-player EGM games, on-line games, scratch ticket games and live card games with electronic betting interfaces.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/483,983, filed May 30, 2012, titled “Methods and Apparatusfor Games that Permit Rewagering,” the disclosure of which isincorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.

FIELD

The disclosure relates generally to methods of administering wageringgames for casinos and other gaming establishments, and related systemsand apparatuses. More specifically, disclosed embodiments relate tomethods of, and systems and apparatuses for, administering wageringgames including at least one side wager, at least winnings from whichmay be added to another wager in the same round of play.

BACKGROUND

Blackjack is a popular wagering game played in casinos and other gamingestablishments. Some alterations to traditional blackjack have beenproposed, including side bets made while playing blackjack. For example,the ROYAL MATCH 21® game is a side bet on blackjack focusing on thefirst two cards a player is dealt. To begin each round, players make thestandard blackjack wager and optionally make the ROYAL MATCH 21® sidewager. Players are dealt their first two cards and, if the cards are thesame suit or a king and queen in suit—they win. If both the player andthe dealer receive a king and queen in suit, a CROWN TREASURE™ bonuspayout is optionally awarded. The bonus payouts apply to the player'sfirst two cards only, except for the CROWN TREASURE™ payout. As anotherexample, the BET THE SET 21® game also focuses on a player's first twocards dealt. To begin each round, players make their standard blackjackwagers and the BET THE SET 21® side wager. Once each player has receivedhis first two cards, the dealer settles all side wagers. If a player hasany pair, they win according to a posted pay table. As yet anotherexample, KING'S BOUNTY™ blackjack is a blackjack side bet that pays whena player's first two cards has a numerical point total 20. All facecards have a point value of 10. To play, players make a standardblackjack wager and the side bet. The dealer deals blackjack accordingto house procedures. Players win the side bet if the point value of thefirst two player cards adds up to 20. The top award occurs when a playerhas two kings of spades and the dealer has blackjack. This top award mayonly be achieved when the game is dealt from a multiple deck shoe. Inprogressive forms of the game, a progressive jackpot may be won when thedealer holds a blackjack in Spades and the player holds two King ofSpades.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In some embodiments, methods of administering wagering games compriseaccepting a first wager to participate in a first wagering gameaccording to a first set of game rules. A second wager to participate ina second, different wagering game according to a second, different setof game rules is also accepted. Cards are dealt to each player and to adealer. The second wager is resolved according to the second set of gamerules. When a payout is awarded to the player on the second wager, aninstruction is accepted from each player to award at least a portion ofwinnings from the second wager directly to the player or to add at leasta portion of winnings from the second wager to the first wager. All or aportion of the second wager may also be added to the first wager. Thefirst wager is resolved according to the first set of game rules. Insome embodiments, the first wager is mandatory and the second wager isoptional. In other embodiments, both the first and second wagers aremandatory.

In one embodiment, methods of administering wagering games comprise thedealer accepting a second wager to participate in a variant of atwo-card poker game, and the dealer accepting a first wager toparticipate in a game of blackjack. The second wager is optional in thisexample of the disclosure. Two cards are dealt to each player and to adealer. The second wager, if played, is resolved according to whetherthe two cards of each player constitute a two-card poker hand of apredetermined rank or higher. An instruction is accepted from eachplayer in whose favor the second wager is resolved to award at least aportion of winnings from the second wager directly to the player or toadd at least a portion of winnings from the second wager to the firstwager. All or a portion of the second wager amount may also be added tothe first wager in some examples of the disclosure. The second wager isresolved according to blackjack rules.

In another embodiment, the first set of game rules comprises athree-card poker hand against a dealer hand, using a known three-cardpoker ranking system. Players view the cards, and either make a playwager equal to the first wager, or in other embodiments, the player maycheck. The second set of game rules is a three-card poker game against apay table of predetermined winning outcomes and predetermined payoutodds. The second wager in one embodiment is mandatory, but can also beoptional.

In yet another embodiment, the first set of game rules comprises amodified form of baccarat, in which the dealer and each player receivesthree cards each, and the hands are scored according to baccarat rules.Each card is assigned a point value, and the point values are combined,modulo 10. The hand closest to 9 wins. Ties are resolved in favor of thehouse. The rules deviate from conventional baccarat in two importantways. Each player receives a separate hand of cards, and each hand hasthree cards. The second set of game rules comprises the player making abest three-card poker hand, and playing against a pay table of aplurality of predetermined winning payouts and payout odds. In thisembodiment, there may be a third game segment in which the player makesa third wager before receiving cards, and plays a three-card poker gameagainst a dealer hand, the second set of rules comprising knownthree-card poker rankings. The rules may require the player to make aplay wager or fold before the dealer reveals the dealer cards in thefirst game. Alternatively, the player may be permitted to make a playwager or check. Checking allows the player to stay in the game withoutfurther betting. Amounts wagered and/or payouts in the first and secondsegments may be combined with the third wager, or the third wager maypayout according to predetermined payout odds, such as 1:1 for example.

In one form of the disclosure, games may be played on a standard gamingtable with a cloth surface. Cards may be randomized with an automaticcard shuffler, and the same shuffler may be used to dispense packets ofcards to the player and the dealer. Alternatively, cards may be shuffledand then transferred into a shoe for manual delivery by a dealer.

In some embodiments, gaming tables for administering wagering gamescomprise a playing surface including at least one player interface, atleast one dealer interface, and at least one processor. The at least oneprocessor is programmed to accept a first wager to participate in afirst wagering game according to a first set of game rules and to accepta second wager to participate in a second, different wagering gameaccording to a second, different set of game rules. The at least oneprocessor is programmed to resolve the second wager according to thesecond set of game rules and to accept from each player in whose favorthe second wager is resolved an instruction to award at least a portionof winnings from the second wager directly to the player. The processormay also receive an instruction to add at least a portion of winningsfrom the second wager to the first wager. The at least one processor isalso programmed to resolve the first wager according to the first set ofgame rules.

Games of the present disclosure may be played on an electronic gamingmachine (EGM), such as on a multiple-player electronic game machine. Inelectronic forms of the game, a game display is provided to display gameresults. A processor is programmed to execute first and second sets ofgame rules. Player inputs are provided so that the processor can receiveinstructions to execute game play. When games of the present disclosureare executed on a multiple-player electronic game machine, all playersin an embodiment simultaneously play the same game, to simulate livetable game play. A common player display may be provided to display gamepieces and game outcomes.

In yet other embodiments, systems for administering wagering games overcomputer networks comprise a game engine configured to be accessed by aclient server over a network. The game engine is programmed to accept aninstruction from a client server to place a first wager to participatein a first wagering game according to a first set of game rules and toaccept an instruction from the client server to place a second wager toparticipate in a second, different wagering game according to a second,different set of game rules. The game engine is programmed to resolvethe second wager according to the second set of game rules and to acceptan instruction from each player for whom the second wager is resolvedfavorably an instruction to award at least a portion of winnings fromthe second wager directly to the player or to add at least a portion ofwinnings from the second wager to the first wager. The game engine isalso programmed to resolve the first wager according to the first set ofgame rules. The game engine may be incorporated into an online casinoserver system or may be a separate system that interacts with an onlinecasino server.

In some embodiments, the present disclosure includes methods ofadministering wagering games. In accordance with such methods, a firstwager may be accepted to participate in a first wagering game ofblackjack. A second wager may also be accepted to participate in asecond wagering game of whether a set of two cards to be dealt to aplayer matches at least one of a plurality of predetermined sets of twocards. The set of two cards may be dealt to the player, and the secondwager may be resolved according to whether the dealt set of two cardsmatches one of a plurality of predetermined sets of two cards. Aninstruction may be accepted from the player to add at least a portion ofwinnings from the second wager to the first wager. The at least aportion of the winnings from the second wager may be added to the firstwager. The first wager may be resolved according to blackjack rules.

In some embodiments, the present disclosure includes additional methodsof administering wagering games. In accordance with such methods, afirst wager to participate in a first wagering game of blackjack isaccepted and thereafter a second wager to participate in a secondwagering game of whether a set of two cards to be dealt to a player forma predetermined winning two-card hand is accepted. The set of two cardsis dealt to the player. Second wager proceeds may be formed by adding apayout to the second wager based on the set of two cards dealt to theplayer forming the predetermined winning two-card hand. The methods mayinclude allowing the player an option to receive payment of all of thesecond wager proceeds, add a portion of the second wager proceeds to thefirst wager and receive payment of a remaining portion of the secondwager proceeds, or add all of the second wager proceeds to the firstwager. The first wager may be resolved according to blackjack rules.

In additional embodiments, the present disclosure includes gaming tablesfor administering a wagering game. Such gaming tables may include aplaying surface including at least one player interface and at least oneprocessor. The at least one processor may be programmed to accept afirst wager to participate in a first wagering game of blackjack; accepta second wager to participate in a second wagering game of whether a setof two cards to be dealt to a player matches at least one predeterminedset of two cards; resolve the second wager according to whether the setof two cards dealt to the player matches at least one of thepredetermined set of two cards; accept from each player in whose favorthe second wager is resolved an instruction to award at least a portionof proceeds from the second wager directly to the player or to add atleast a portion of proceeds from the second wager to the first wager;and resolve the first wager according to blackjack rules. Wager proceedsincludes amounts wagered and amounts won.

In embodiments, an online casino gaming system may offer a blackjackgame with an optional or mandatory wager on the occurrence of a player2-card initial hand of a predetermined winning combination. The casinogaming system server may receive an instruction from a remote user inputdevice with a user display indicating a first and second wager have beenreceived. The gaming system may transmit a randomly selected playertwo-card hand to the user device and may display the two-card hand on auser display. The rank and suit of the player cards are compared to alook-up table of predetermined winning combinations by the gaming systemprocessor, and when the player hand is a winning combination, the gamingsystem awards a payout to the player on the second wager. In response toreceiving a user instruction, all or a portion of the second amountswagered plus amounts won may be added to the first wager. Any proceedsfrom the second wager not combined with the first wager are credited toa player account. Additional hit cards are delivered upon receiving asignal from the user input device to complete the player hand, andadditional cards are dealt to the dealer hand according to house rulesto complete the dealer hand The hands are compared and the winning handis determined according to conventional blackjack rules. Payouts on thefirst wager are credited to the player's account and losses are deductedfrom the player's account. Losses post to a casino account.

In additional embodiments, play can be conducted in a play-for-funformat. For example, methods of administering a play-for-fun wageringgame over a network may include sending from a user interaction server aquantity of valueless wagering elements usable within a predeterminedtime period to players and receiving at the user interaction serverauthorization from each player to allocate at least one valuelesswagering element to a first blackjack wager. Authorization from at leastone player to allocate at least one valueless wagering element to asecond wager that a set of two cards to be dealt to the at least oneplayer will match at least one of a predetermined set of two cards maybe received at the user interaction server. Rank and suit informationfor two cards allocated to each player may be sent from the userinteraction server. The second wager may be resolved at a game server byawarding additional valueless wagering elements to at least one winningplayer whose set of two cards matches the at least one predetermined setof two cards. Authorization from the at least one winning player to addat least one valueless wagering element awarded based on the resolutionof the second wager to the first blackjack wager of the at least onewinning player may be received at the user interaction server. The firstblackjack wager may be resolved according to blackjack rules.

Further embodiments may include one, some, or all of the following: Theacts of the dealer may be carried out by a visual representation of adealer, the visual representation being generated and/or displayed by acomputer. The visual representation may be a virtual person (e.g., ananimation), or may be a transmission (e.g., a video) of an actualperson. The visual representation may be part of an online gamingexperience of the disclosed game. The acts described in this disclosureassociated with a dealer, including dealing cards, displaying or turningcards over, receiving or paying bets, or any other actions, may berepresented in any way when used in an online environment. For example,the cards associated with a dealer action, described as being dealt orotherwise handled by a dealer, may appear as virtual cards or astransmitted pictures of physical cards. This may include a display ofvirtual card decks where each deck, individual card, and hand isdisplayed to an online player in a manner consistent with the game playdisclosed herein, but may or may not include a visual representation ofa dealer with the cards. Likewise, betting activity may be displayed inany manner to a player, including, but not limited to, virtual chips,betting pools, numbers, or other indicia of a bet amount.

The online experience may involve players playing remotely (e.g., in adifferent physical location) from the dealer, remotely from the locationof a game server, or remotely from both, interacting through a networkedconnection that may include, but is not limited to, the Internet. Theonline game play may involve players who are also physically remote fromeach other. Remote connections may use networks involving several typesof network links including, but not limited to, the Internet. Networkedconnections allowing physically remote players to play a game using agame server or system may be part of an implementation of a virtual oronline gaming environment.

Live, electronic, or online-implementations of the methods describedherein may be configured for administration as either “play-for-pay”embodiments or “play-for-fun” embodiments. In play-for-pay embodiments,wagers having real-world monetary value are received and payouts havingreal-world monetary value may be distributed. Play-for-pay embodimentsinclude “house-banked” embodiments. In house-banked embodiments, payoutsare paid by, and losses are retained by, the game administrator (e.g., acasino or other gaming establishment). Aside from play-for-payembodiments, play-for-fun embodiments (e.g., “free play-for-fun”configurations, “social play-for-fun” configurations) involve receivingwagers having no real-world monetary value and distributing payoutshaving no real-world monetary value.

The actions described in this disclosure as the acts of a player,including betting, card selection (if any), card evaluation, carddiscards (if any), play elections, or any other actions, may be carriedout over a network where the indicated actions are received as input toa device. The input-receiving device is typically physically remote fromthe game server or game host and connected over a long-distance network,but may also be implemented over a wired or wireless LAN in onebuilding, or even in one room, for example. In one embodiment, game playgenerated at the server or host location may be displayed on the samedevice as the receiving device. In some embodiments, game play may beconveyed to remote players in devices separate from the devicesreceiving input from a player, such as public screens or publiclybroadcast data about a game coupled with individual or private inputdevices. The reception of an input at a device may be accomplishedthrough any technology adapted for such a purpose including, but notlimited to, keypads, keyboards, touchpads, touch screens, buttons, mice,optical location devices, eye movement/location detectors, sound inputdevices, etc. When discussing a device, it is understood the device maycomprise multiple components and be complex, including hardwarecomponents combined with firmware and/or software, and may itself be asubcomponent of a larger system.

Yet other embodiments may comprise apparatuses and systems foradministering wagering games according to embodiments of the disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing outand distinctly claiming what are regarded as embodiments of thedisclosure, various features and advantages of embodiments encompassedby the disclosure may be more readily ascertained from the followingdescription when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a method of administering a wagering game;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a live gaming table implementation of a firstexample of a wagering game;

FIG. 3 is an expanded view of a player area of a first example of thedisclosure;

FIG. 4 is a diagram of a live gaming table implementation of a secondexample of a wagering game;

FIG. 5 is an expanded view of a player area of a second example of thedisclosure;

FIG. 6 is an expanded view of a player area of a third example of thedisclosure;

FIG. 7 is an example of an individual electronic gaming deviceconfigured for implementation of embodiments of wagering games;

FIG. 8 is an example of a suitable table with electronic playerinterfaces configured for implementation of embodiments of wageringgames;

FIG. 9 is an example of a suitable multiple player electronic gamingmachine configured for implementation of embodiments of wagering gameshaving a virtual dealer;

FIG. 10 is a schematic block diagram of a gaming system 400 forimplementing wagering games according to an embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a high-level block diagram of a computer 500 for acting as agaming system 400 according to one embodiment;

FIG. 12 is a schematic of a scratch card implementation of a wageringgame; and

FIG. 13 is an expanded view of a player area of a fourth example of thedisclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The illustrations presented herein are not meant to be actual views ofany particular act in a method of administering a wagering game,apparatus for use in administering a wagering game, or componentthereof, but are merely idealized representations employed to describeillustrative embodiments. Thus, the drawings are not necessarily toscale. Additionally, elements common between figures may retain the sameor similar numerical designation. Elements with the same number, butincluding a different alphabet character as a suffix should beconsidered as multiple instantiations of substantially similar elementsand may be referred generically without an alphabet character suffix.For example, elements 100 a, 100 b, and 100 c, may be a device that isinstantiated three times and generically referred to herein as element100.

The terms “gaming,” “gambling,” or the like, refer to activities, games,sessions, rounds, hands, rolls, operations, and other events related towagering games such as web-based games, casino games, card games, dicegames, and other games the outcome of which is at least partially basedon one or more random events (“chance” or “chances”), and on whichwagers may be placed by a player. Examples of wagering games include:live casino games, such as live card games, dice games, wheel games;electronic gaming machine games; multi-player electronic gaming machinegames; games played on tables that are equipped with electronics toelectronically measure or accept wagers, and/or electronically acceptcards; and on-line games and other games of chance for which wagers maybe placed by a player and payouts awarded. In addition, the word“wager,” “bet,” “bid” or the like, refer to any type of wagers, bet, orgaming venture that is placed on random events, whether of monetary ornon-monetary value. Wagers may represent monetary amounts ornon-monetary amounts. For example, players may wager, win and loseamounts of value or non-monetary points. Chips, credits, and other itemsof value, or points of non-monetary value may be issued, purchased,earned, or otherwise dispensed prior to beginning the wagering game. Insome embodiments, purchased points, credits, or other items of value mayhave an exchange rate that is not one-to-one to the currency used by theuser. For example, a wager may include money, points, credits, symbols,or other items that may have some value related to a wagering game.Wagers may be placed in wagering games that involve the risk ofreal-world monetary value for the potential of payouts with real-worldmonetary value (e.g., the “play-for-pay” configurations, which aredescribed in more detail below) or in wagering games that involve noreal-world monetary risks for the player (e.g., the “play-for-fun” and“social play-for-fun” configurations, which are described in more detailbelow).

As used herein, the term “wager” includes any form of wagering value,including money, casino chips, other physical means for payment, andonline or remote electronic authorization of a wager in any acceptableform to the casino or online or virtual game host. Also included arephysical representations of money (e.g., casino chips) at a local gamingtable 126, 400, or 500 (see FIGS. 2, 7, and 8), or electronicauthorizations of a transfer of money or digital representations ofmoney (e.g., digital representations of bills or coins, digitalrepresentations of chips, numerical quantities of money, numericalquantities of points, or numerical quantities of credits) at a local orremote electronic gaming device 300, 400, 500, 620, or 640 (see FIGS. 6through 10). In the “play-for-fun” and “social play-for-fun”configurations, a “wager” may not have a cash value (i.e., a real-worldmonetary value).

For the purposes of this description, it will be understood that when anaction related to accepting wagers, making payouts, dealing cards,selecting cards, or other actions associated with a player or a dealerare described, the description includes a player or a dealer taking theaction, the results of the action on a live or virtual table or display,and, if applicable, the reception or detection of such an action in anelectronic form where player and dealer choices, selections, or otheractions are received at an electronic interface. This further includesthe results of a virtual dealer and virtual players, where the actionsdescribed are actually generated by a computer (typically associatedwith an online game). By way of a further example, if dealing of a cardis described herein, the description includes (but is not limited to)the following: the dealing of a card by a dealer from a deck, shuffler,a shoe, or other card source and the reception or placement of the cardat a table location associated with a player or reception directly by aplayer; the generation and transmission of an electronic indication orrepresentation of a card from a game play source or server to anelectronic receiver, where the receiver may be at a table (using virtualcards) including players and/or virtual players and/or a dealer orvirtual dealer, at a public display in a casino, at a remote location(e.g., using online or Internet game play), or at other locations. Alsoincluded is the representation of a card on a display or displays, and,if applicable to the action described, an electronic reception of anindication that the card has been received, selected, or otherwiseinteracted with at a location associated with a player, or, associatedwith a virtual player. In addition, dealing of a card may refer torevealing a representation of a card on a scratch-off card (alsoreferred to as “scratchers”).

Disclosed embodiments relate generally to methods of administeringwagering games including at least one first bet, and a second bet.According to the present disclosure, at least a portion of the winningsfrom the second bet may be added to the first bet and put at risk in thesame round of play. The second bet may be optional or mandatory indifferent embodiments. Various platforms are contemplated that aresuitable for implementation of embodiments of wagering games accordingto the present disclosure. For example, embodiments of wagering gamesmay be implemented such that wagers may be received from one or moreplayers, and game play may be administered with the one or more playersaccording to the rules of the wagering games. For example, wageringgames may be implemented on a live gaming table, which may includephysical game elements such as physical cards and physical chips, anautomatic card handling device, a card dispensing shoe, a no-peekdevice, or a dealer instruction display, and may include a live dealerand a shuffler or shoe. More specifically, a live dealer may dealphysical cards, evaluate hands, accept wagers, issue payouts, acceptplayer elections, combine wagers, take wagers and perform otheradministrative functions of game play.

As an example, embodiments of wagering games may be implemented on anindividual gaming device, such as a video poker machine, configured toaccept wagers and having a display screen and input devices for enablinggame play of the wagering games. Such an individual gaming device may belinked with other gaming devices that may be operated, for example, byother players. Some embodiments may be implemented on electronic devicesenabling electronic gaming features, such as providing electronicdisplays for display of virtual cards, virtual chips, game instructions,pay tables, game outcomes, credit balances, play options, etc. Examplesof electronic devices are adapted for single players or for multipleplayers to engage in the same game. Some individual electronic gamingdevices may be referred to as an individual player “electronic gamingmachine” and may be stationary, such as being located on a casino floor.Other individual electronic gaming devices may be portable devices thatmay be carried to different locations by the player. Portable devicesmay include both display of the ongoing game play and input receptionfor game play by a player, and may be configured for receiving inputfrom a player while the game play is displayed on a public monitor, orother display device. Game play and game outcomes may also be displayedon a portable device. Other embodiments may include features that are acombination of physical and electronic features. Yet other embodimentsare implemented for on-line, web-based play.

As previously noted, any of the present methods and games may be playedas a live casino table card game, as a hybrid casino table card game(i.e., with virtual cards or virtual chips, as disclosed in U.S. Pat.No. 8,262,475), on a multi-player electronic platform (as disclosed inU.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/764,827, filed Jan. 26, 2004,published as U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0164759 onJul. 28, 2005, now abandoned; U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/764,994, filed Jan. 26, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,661,676, issuedFeb. 16, 2010; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/764,995, filedJan. 26, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,272,958, issued Sep. 25, 2012, thedisclosure of each of which applications and patents is incorporatedherein in its entirety by this reference), on a personal computer forpractice, on a hand-held game for practice, or on a legally-authorizedsite on the Internet.

For example, in one embodiment, the players may be remotely located froma live dealer, and a live dealer and a game table may be displayed toplayers on their monitors via a video feed. The players' video feeds maybe transmitted to the dealer and may also be shared among the players atthe table. In a sample embodiment, a central station may include aplurality of betting-type game devices and an electronic camera for eachgame device. A plurality of player stations, remotely located withrespect to the central station, may each include a monitor, fordisplaying a selected game device at the central station, and inputmeans, for selecting a game device and for placing a bet by a player atthe player's station relating to an action involving an element ofchance to occur at the selected game device. Further details on gamblingsystems and methods for remotely-located players are disclosed inconnection with FIGS. 10 and 11 and in U.S. Pat. No. 6,755,741 B1,issued Jun. 29, 2004, titled “Gambling Game System and Method forRemotely-Located Players,” the disclosure of which is incorporatedherein in its entirety by this reference.

A flow diagram illustrating methods of the present invention isillustrated in FIG. 1. To begin play, a second wager is accepted 602 bythe dealer from each player to qualify the player to participate in asecond wagering game according to a second set of game rules. In someembodiments, the second wager is mandatory. In other embodiments, thesecond wager is optional. In forms of the disclosure, the second set ofgame rules includes consideration of a player hand only and notconsideration of a dealer hand. In other embodiments, both the dealerand player cards are considered according to the second set of gamerules. When only player cards are considered, it is desirable to keepall dealer cards face down until the second wager is resolved. Forexample, the second set of rules may comprise comparing a player'stwo-card poker hand against a pay table of predetermined winning handcombinations and corresponding payout odds.

According to examples of the disclosure, a first wager is accepted 604by the dealer from each participating player to participate in a first,different wagering game according to a first, different set of gamerules. In some embodiments, the different set of game rules considersplayer cards, common cards, extra cards, wild cards and special cards aswell as dealer cards in determining game outcome. In embodiments thatrequire the dealer to accept a second wager from the player to qualifythe player to participate in the game, the second wager is played first,and then the first wager is played, in order to prevent the player fromviewing the dealer cards before play of the first wager. In embodimentswhere the second wager is optional, when the dealer receives an electionfrom the player not to make the second wager, the first wager is playedfirst. The second set of game rules may include blackjack rules, and mayallow the players and dealer to initially receive two cards. The rulesmay allow the player and dealer to accept additional hit cards, allowthe dealer to accept insurance wagers from the players, allow the dealerto accept elections to split pairs, etc. as with standard blackjackrules. In some forms of the game, the second game is played first, andthe first game requires consideration of more cards than the secondgame, allowing for suspense to build as the game proceeds.

In examples of the disclosure, the method includes dealing cards to eachplayer and to a dealer 606. In other embodiments, cards are dealt atleast to a player. The second wager is resolved according to the secondset of game rules 608. The second set of game rules may require thedealer or a processor to compare a player hand to a dealer hand, orcompare the player hand to a pay table of one or more predeterminedwinning game outcomes. The dealer cards may be dealt face down, and thesecond wager resolved first according to the second set of game rules,and without considering the dealer cards, in order to keep the playerengaged and build excitement for the resolution of the first wager. Inother embodiments, dealer cards may be used to resolve the second wager.

An example of a method includes the step of accepting from each playerfor whom the second wager is resolved in favor of that player aninstruction 610 to award at least a portion of winnings from the secondwager directly to the player or to add at least a portion of winningsfrom the second wager to the first wager. The player has the choice ofreceiving the returned wager and payout on the second wager, or applyingall or part of the wager and payout (i.e., the proceeds) to the firstwager. In some embodiments, only part of the proceeds can be combinedwith the first wager. Regardless of the amount of the second wagerpayout and/or proceeds that is applied to the first wager, allowing theplayer to put payouts from a game at risk in the same game creates theimpression that the player is being permitted to play with the casino'smoney. However, the player has already won these amounts and is free totake these payouts rather than bet them. For those players who like towin larger payouts, these amounts can be re-played in the same round,giving the player the potential of increasing payouts.

According to the disclosure, the first wager is resolved 612 accordingto the first set of game rules. In some examples of the disclosure, thefirst set of rules comprises blackjack rules. In other examples of thedisclosure, a baccarat hand scoring system is applied to compare thetotal point value of the player and dealer hands, modulo 10. In yetother examples of the disclosure, the first set of rules comprises theplayers playing a three-card poker hand against a three-card dealer'spoker hand.

Some embodiments of the method of the present disclosure includesdealing the players a two-card hand, and resolving the second wager bydetermining if the player holds a two-card poker hand of a predeterminedrank or higher. This step can be performed before the first wager isresolved. The second set of game rules can include comparing a playerhand with a set of predetermined winning poker hands. The poker handranking systems are well-known and depend upon the number of cards theplayer may use to make a poker hand. For example, the hierarchy oftwo-card poker hands is different from three-card, and five-card pokerrankings.

Players may receive cards to make a best two-, three-, four-, five-,six- or seven-card poker hand, for example. The different set of gamerules may be selected from the group consisting of two-card pokerrankings, three-card poker rankings, four-card poker rankings, five-cardpoker rankings, six-card poker rakings and seven-card poker rankings.Other alternative embodiments include allowing players to discard andreceive one or more cards to better their hand, include one or moreextra wild cards or designate one or more cards in the set as wild.

In the examples described below, players receive the exact number ofcards used to make a hand. In other embodiments, players are dealt oneor more extra cards and then can make a best hand from the availablecards. For example, in embodiments that require the dealer to dispensean extra card to each player for a two-, three-, four-, five-, six- orseven-card poker game, the dealer would deal to each player 3, 4, 5, 6,7, or 8 cards, respectively. In some forms of the game, all of theplayer cards are dealt to a player position and are used exclusively bythe player who made the wager or wagers. In other embodiments, one ormore of the player cards are dealt to a common card position. Cardsdealt to the common card position may be used by all players, the dealeror just some of the players, depending upon the game rules.

Blackjack/Two-Card Poker Against a Pay Table

In one example of the disclosure, the dealer administers a firstwagering game of blackjack and a second wagering game of two-card poker.According to the second set of rules, the two-card poker game is playedagainst a pay table and is played first, before the dealer hand isrevealed to the player. The method includes the steps of accepting afirst wager to participate in a game of blackjack. The method alsoincludes accepting a second wager to participate in a variant of atwo-card poker game. Two cards are dealt to each player and to a dealer.The second wager is resolved according to whether the two cards of eachplayer constitute a two-card poker hand of a predetermined rank orhigher. The method includes accepting from each player in whose favorthe second wager is resolved an instruction to award at least a portionof winnings from the first wager directly to the player or to add atleast a portion of winnings from the second wager to the first wager orto receive a payout. The first wager is then resolved according toblackjack rules.

The two-card poker game is resolved by the dealer examining the playercards to determine if the player holds a two-card straight, a pair, astraight flush, or an ace and a king of the same suit. Two examples ofsuitable pay tables are provided below. The first pay table may be usedwhen multiple decks of cards are used in the play of the game. Thesecond pay table may be used when a single deck of cards is used in theplay of the game.

TABLE I Hand Odds Ace-king suited 9 to 1 Straight flush 4 to 1 Pair 3 to1 Straight 1 to 1

TABLE II Hand Odds Ace-king suited 9 to 1 Straight flush 5 to 1 Pair 3to 1 Straight 1 to 1

In some embodiments, the second wager is optional. If the dealer doesnot receive a player election to play the second wager, the playersimply plays the first wager. In other embodiments, the second wager ismandatory. The second wager is resolved prior to resolving the firstwager, otherwise the dealer cannot receive an election to move the wagerto the first wager area before the first wager is resolved.

When the player wins the second wager, the dealer may receive a playelection to move all of the amounts won on the second wager, plus theamount of the second wager to the first wager betting spot.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, this example of the game may be played on acloth layout 800 with printed information and graphical designs. Thelayout 800 may include player areas 802, a dealer area 804, printedrules 810 for the first game, and printed rules 812 for the second game.The dealer may receive the first wager on betting spot 808, whichdesignates participation in a blackjack game. Players may optionallymake the second bet on betting spot 806. The second bet is a two-cardpoker bet against a pay table, in which the player hopes to receive atwo-card hand of a straight, a pair, a straight flush, or a royal flush.The printed rules 812 preferably includes a pay table, which is shown ingreater detail in FIG. 3. Each player area 802 includes a first wagerarea 808, a second wager area 806 and printed rules 812 comprising a paytable.

According to this embodiment, the dealer deals two cards to the dealerposition 804 and two cards to each player position 802, face down.Dealer cards remain face down while the second game is being played. Thetwo-card poker game is played first. The dealer examines the playerhands and compares the hand ranking to the pay table 812 of winninghands and corresponding payout odds. If a predetermined winning hand isobtained, such as a straight flush, the dealer pays the player accordingto the odds posted in the pay table. In this example, the minimumranking hand that is a winning hand is a straight or better. For astraight flush, the odds payout is 4:1. The amount wagered is multipliedby four to arrive at the payout amount. The amount wagered, the payoutamount, part of the amount wagered, or part of the payout amount, orcombinations thereof may be distributed to the player, or may be addedto the first wager, at the option of the player. The dealer cards arenot considered when resolving the second wager in this embodiment. Ifthe player does not hold a predetermined winning two-card poker hand,the second wager is taken by the house, and play continues. In thisembodiment, the first wager is mandatory.

If the player holds a winning hand, the dealer must receive an electionfrom the player to move all or part of the second wager and the secondpayout to the first wager area, or pay the player a payout. After all orpart of the second wager and payout is paid out or moved, playcontinues. It is to be understood that in some embodiments, the secondwager is optional. In the event that a player elects not to make asecond wager, the player will only play the first game, and the firstgame will be played first by that player. The dealer may receive secondwagers from other players at the same table who may play the second gamebefore the first game.

In this example of the game, the first wager 808 is made on a blackjackgame. The players and dealer each receive a two-card hand. The playeruses the same two cards used to resolve the second wager to resolve thefirst wager. After the second two-card poker game is played, blackjackplay continues, except that when the dealer is dealt a two-cardblackjack, play ends for the players, and the players cannot move all orpart of the second wager or proceeds from the second wager to the firstwager spot. The dealer deals players hit cards or receives elections tostand according to player requests, and the dealer takes hit cards andmakes stand decisions according to house rules. For example, if therules of the first game 810 include the requirement that the dealer hiton a soft 17, the dealer cannot deviate from this rule. The highestranking hand that does not exceed a point count of 21 wins the round. Ifthe player beats the dealer with less than a blackjack, the player ispaid 1:1. If the player has a blackjack and beats the dealer hand, theplayer is paid 3:2. Other blackjack rules such as double downs,insurance bets and card splitting can be included as part of the rulesof the first game. The first wager may be resolved using blackjackrules. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the second wageris optional. In other embodiments such as with one of the examplesbelow, the second wager is mandatory.

Some players prefer to go “all in” and put all available wagers at risk.In this instance, examples of the present method would allow the playerto move all amounts wagered and all amounts paid on the second wager tothe first wager position. Examples of the present disclosure may allowfor more conservative betting, allowing the dealer to accept a wagerthat represents a portion of the second wager or the second payoutamount and combine that wager with the first wager. In one embodiment,the dealer requires players that have won the second wager to put all ofthe second wager and second wager payout amounts on the first wagerbetting circle.

Three-Card Poker Against a Dealer Hand/Three-Card Poker Pay Table Game

In another example of the disclosure, the first set of game rulescomprises dealing three cards to each player and to the dealer, andcomparing a point value of the player hands to the dealer hand, whereinthree-card poker rankings are used to determine the winning hand. Thegame can be played on a suitable table surface, as shown in FIG. 4. Agaming table surface 819 is provided with multiple player areas 821. Thesecond set of game rules is preferably played first, and comprises theplayer playing a three-card poker game against a pay table ofpredetermined winning hands and corresponding payout odds. The dealer'scards remain face down on the table while the second wager is beingplayed. FIG. 5 is an expanded view of a player play area 821. Accordingto this example, the first game is a three-card poker game against adealer hand. The dealer may receive a first wager, also known as an antewager from the player, the ante wager being the first wager, and placedin the ante betting circle 816. When the second game is a three-cardpoker game against a pay table, the player can make a second “pair plus”wager on betting circle 820. In this example of the game, both the anteand pair plus bets are mandatory, and the minimum winning hand on thepair plus wager is a pair or better. In other embodiments, other minimumhand rankings are the minimum winning ranking, such as a flush orbetter. In one embodiment, the player views his hand and the dealerreceives an election to either fold or make a play wager in bettingcircle 818. In one embodiment, the play wager is equal to the ante. Inother examples, the play wager is a multiple of the ante.

In other examples (not shown), the dealer receives an election to make aplay wager or check, and the player may not elect to fold. No furtherbetting is needed when the dealer receives a check election from theplayer. In yet another example, the dealer does not receive an electionfrom the player to keep the ante wager in play, and no further wageringto keep the ante in play is allowed under the rules.

The second wager 820 is resolved first, before the dealer hand isrevealed. If the player holds a predetermined winning hand, that wageris paid posted odds. The dealer then receives an election to either payout all or portion of the pair plus wager 820 and corresponding payoutsor combine the wager with the first ante wager 816. If the player holdsless than the predetermined minimum winning hand, the house takes thebet on betting circle 820.

The dealer reveals the dealer hand. Player and dealer hands are comparedand the dealer takes the ante (and play wager, if made) when the dealerhand outranks the player hand and pays the player a predetermined payoutsuch as 1:1 or 2:1 on the ante (and play, when made) when made when theplayer hand outranks the dealer hand, using standard three-card pokerhand rankings. In some forms of the disclosure, the dealer hand mustqualify, such as with a queen-high or better, otherwise the ante, playor ante and play bets push. Alternatively, the ante or play can push andthe other bet (the play or ante) can pay 1:1, depending on the desiredhouse odds.

The second set of rules may comprise a three-card poker pay table suchas Pay Table III below:

TABLE III Hand Odds Straight flush 40 to 1 3 of a kind 30 to 1 Straight6 to 1 Flush 4 to 1 Pair 1 to 1

Automatic ante bonus odds payouts or fixed payout amounts for certainhigh-ranking hands, such as a straight or better may also be paid.

Three-Card Poker Pay Table/Three-Card Baccarat

In another example of the disclosure, players and the dealer make amandatory first three-card baccarat bet 822 as shown in FIG. 6, amandatory “pair plus” second bet 824 and an optional ante bet 826. Theante bet 826 in another example of the disclosure is mandatory. Inalternate forms of the disclosure, no ante bet is offered.

The second wager 824 is played first, in order to avoid exposing dealercards to the player and in order to maintain suspense in the game. Afterthe dealer receives a player election to make a play wager or fold, theformer keeping the ante in play and the latter resulting in a loss ofthe ante, the dealer reviews the player's revealed hand. If the playerholds a predetermined winning hand as shown in Pay Table III, above, thedealer may receive an election to pay the player a payout on the secondwager, and return the second wager to the player, or put all or part ofthe funds eligible for return on the baccarat bet. If the player holds alower ranking poker hand than the minimum winning poker hand, the dealertakes the wager on betting spot 824.

Prior to playing the second wager, or after the second wager is playedbut before the first wager is played, players who made the ante wagerview the player cards and elect to make a play wager 828, or check. Thedealer then receives the election, including the check or the play wager828. The ante wager 826 stays in play. In other forms of the disclosure,the player must make a play wager 828 or fold. In some embodiments, theante wager is not offered.

After the play or check election is received, the first wager isresolved. The dealer reveals the dealer cards, and at this point, allplayer and dealer cards are exposed. The first wager 822 is made on theoccurrence of a player three-card hand having a higher ranking hand thana dealer three-card hand, using baccarat scoring, modulo 10 as the rulesof the first game. Unlike standard baccarat, no hit cards can be taken

The player wins 1:1 on the baccarat bet if the player hand beats thedealer hand. Ties go to the house. The dealer takes all bets if thedealer hand outranks the player hand. Last, all ante and play wagers orjust ante wagers are resolved by comparing the player hand rank to thedealer hand rank.

Blackjack/Winning Set of Two Cards Against a Pay Table

In one example of the disclosure, the dealer may administer a firstwagering game of blackjack and a second wagering game of whether theinitial two cards dealt to a player for the game of blackjack match atleast one predetermined winning arrangements of cards. For example,administering the second wagering game may include receiving a secondwager that the initial two cards dealt to the player are a two-cardstraight, a flush, two cards of the same color, two black cards, two redcards, a straight flush, a pair, a pair of the same suit, a pair ofdifferent suits, a pair of aces, a pair of aces of the same suit, a pairof aces of different suits, a pair of kings, a pair of kings of the samesuit, a pair of kings of different suits, a pair of queens, a pair ofqueens of the same suit, a pair of queens of different suits, an ace anda king of the same suit, a king and a queen of the same suit, and/or anycombination thereof. Such a wagering game may be administered using oneor more card decks, such as from one deck to eight decks. In someembodiments, higher payouts may be achieved by also considering dealercards. For example, if the dealer holds a blackjack in spades and theplayer holds a King-Queen of spades, the player could win a progressivepayout or a very large fixed odds payout, since the probability of theplayer and dealer hands holding this combination of cards is very low.

Referring to FIG. 13, a player area 832 may be used to administerwagering games according to such embodiments. A first wager may beaccepted from each participating player in a first wager area 836 toparticipate in the first wagering game of blackjack. After the firstwager is accepted in wager area 836, a second wager may be accepted fromat least one player in a second wager area 838 to participate in thesecond wagering game of whether the initial set of two cards to be dealtto the player matches at least one predetermined winning outcome, suchas a set of two cards of the same suit. After respective sets of twocards are dealt to the participating players, the second wager of the atleast one player may be resolved according to whether the two cards ofthe at least one player match the predetermined winning set of twocards. If the at least one player holds such a winning two-card hand,all or part of the proceeds of the payout on the second wager may beadded to the at least one player's first wager. For example, a pay table842 may optionally be displayed in the player area 832 and may be usedto determine the appropriate payout to be added to the at least oneplayer's first wager.

For example, the second wager may be received that the initial two cardsto be dealt to the player are of the same suit, with a higher payoutawarded to a player with two specific cards of the same suit, such as aking and a queen of the same suit. In such embodiments, the pay table842 may be, by way of example and not limitation, a fixed odds pay tableas follows.

TABLE IV Hand Odds King-Queen Suited 15 to 1 Any Other Pair of TwoSuited Cards 2 to 1

By way of another example, the second wager may be received that theinitial two cards to be dealt to the player are a pair, a pair of thesame suit, or a pair of different suits. A nonlimiting example of a paytable that pays odds payouts on the second wager for predetermined pairsis included in Table V below:

TABLE V Hand Table 1 Table 2 Table 3 Suited Pairs 15 to 1 20 to 1 AnyPair 7 to 1 8 to 1 11 to 1 No. of Decks 4, 6, or 8 2 1

By way of yet another example, the second wager may be received that theinitial two cards to be dealt to the player are a pair of kings; a pairof kings of the same suit; a pair of kings of a particular suit; a pairof kings of different suits; two cards of the same suit each selectedfrom the group consisting of a 10, a jack, and a queen; two cards havinga combined blackjack point value of twenty; two suited cards having acombined blackjack point value of twenty; and two unsuited cards havinga combined blackjack point value of twenty. A nonlimiting example of apay table that pays odds payouts on the second wager for certain pairsof pairs of Kings, Queens and Jacks, both suited and unsuited isincluded in Table VI below:

TABLE VI Hand Pays 2 King of Spades w/Dealer BJ 1000 to 1 2 King ofSpades 75 to 1* 2 Suited Kings 25 to 1* 2 Suited Q's, J's or Tens's 10to 1* Suited 20 6 to 1* 2 Offsuit Kings 4 to 1* Unsuited 20 2 to 1**Based on the player's first two cards only

An instruction may be accepted from the at least one player holding awinning set of two cards to add only a portion of the second wagerproceeds to the first wager and to award a remaining portion of thesecond wager proceeds to the at least one player, to add all of thesecond wager proceeds to the first wager, or to award all of the secondwager proceeds to the at least one player. In other words, the at leastone player may be given the optional ability to add all or part of thesecond wager proceeds to the first wager in lieu of directly receivingall or part of the second wager proceeds.

In some embodiments, the at least one player may not be given the optionto add any of the second wager proceeds to the first wager in the eventthat the dealer has received a blackjack (i.e., two cards having acombined blackjack point value of twenty-one). In such embodiments, thedealer's two initial cards may be evaluated to determine and verify thatthe dealer's two initial cards do not form a blackjack hand prior toallowing the at least one player the option to add all or a portion ofthe second wager proceeds to the first wager.

The second wager may be resolved at any convenient time during theunderlying first wagering game of blackjack. For example, when eachplayer's cards are dealt face up, the second wager may be resolved assoon as each player is dealt his or her initial set of two cards.Alternatively, when each player's cards are dealt face down, the secondwagers of any participating players may be resolved one at a time as ahit or stand determination is received from each participating player(e.g., immediately before or immediately after receiving the hit orstand determination). The second wager may also be resolved after allinitial two-card hands are dealt and before or after the dealer revealshis or her two-card hand.

After an instruction from the at least one player has been accepted asto whether at least a portion of the second wager proceeds is to beadded to the first wager, the indicated portion of the second wagerproceeds may be placed in the first wager area 836 with the first wager,and may become a part of the first wager. Next, the first wagering gameof blackjack may be played out and the first wager (including any addedportion of the second wager proceeds) may be resolved according tostandard blackjack rules.

Additional Game Formats

In some embodiments, the wagering games described herein may be playedagainst the game administrator, i.e., “the house” (i.e., may be“house-banked”), which may involve the game administrator (e.g. a casinoor other gaming establishment) receiving (via a dealer who may beemployed by the administrator) wagers having real-world monetary value,comparing a player hand with a dealer hand, distributing payouts havingreal-world monetary value to winning players, and retaining lost wagers.For example, the embodiment described above with reference to FIGS. 1through 6 and 13 has been described as being played in a house-bankedformat. Such “house-banked” embodiments may be implemented in the formof a live table game, in a virtual table game, in an electronic game, orin an online game configuration. In online game configurations, thewagering game described above with reference to FIGS. 1 through 6 and 13may be administered as described above, except that players may belocated remotely and may use an interface such as a computer, a handheldmobile device, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, etc.

In some embodiments, wagering games may be administered without playersrisking money in connection with the wagers (i.e., “play-for-fun”games). Access to play-for-fun wagering games may be granted on a timeperiod basis in some embodiments. For example, upon initially joiningthe wagering game, each player may automatically be given wageringelements, such as, for example, chips, points, or simulated currency,that is of no redeemable value. After joining, the player may bepermitted to place bets using the wagering elements and a timer maytrack how long the player has been participating in the wagering game.If the player exhausts his or her supply of the wagering elements beforea predetermined period of time has expired, the player may be permittedto simply wait until the period of time passes to rejoin the game, atwhich time another quantity of the wagering elements may be distributedto the player to permit the player to resume participation in thewagering game.

In some embodiments, a hierarchy of players may determine the quantityof wagering elements given to a player for each predetermined period oftime. For example, players who have been participating in the wageringgame for a longer time, who have played closest to optimal strategy forthe game, who have won the largest percentage of wagers, who havewagered the most in a play-for-pay environment, or who have won thelargest quantities of wagering elements from their wagers may be givenmore wagering elements for each allotment of time than players who havenewly joined, who have played according to poor strategy, who have lostmore frequently, or who have lost larger quantities of wageringelements. In some embodiments, the hierarchy of players may determinethe duration of each allotment of time.

For example, players who have been participating in the wagering gamefor a longer time, who have played closest to optimal strategy for thegame, who have won the largest percentage of wagers, or who have won thelargest quantities of wagering elements from their wagers may be givenshorter allotments of times to wait for an award of more wageringelements than players who have newly joined, who have played accordingto poor strategy, who have lost more frequently, or who have lost largerquantities of wagering elements. In some embodiments, players who havenot run out of wagering elements after the period of time has expiredmay have the balance of their wagering elements reset for a subsequentallotment of time. In other embodiments, players who have not run out ofwagering elements may be allowed to retain their remaining wageringelements for subsequent allotments of time, and may be given additionalwagering elements corresponding to the new allotment of time to furtherincrease the balance of wagering elements at their disposal. Players maybe assigned to different categories of players, which determine thenumber of wagering elements awarded. In a given period of time, higherlevel players, or players who have invested more time playing the gamemay be allotted more wagering elements per unit of time than a playerassigned to a lower level group.

Therefore, in some embodiments, the wagering game may be administered byreceiving wagers (e.g., the first wager and the second wager describedabove with reference to FIG. 13) of no real-world monetary value, andpayouts (e.g., payouts as described above with reference to FIG. 13) maybe paid without transferring real-world monetary value to the players.Such embodiments, referred to herein as “free play-for-fun” embodiments,are nonetheless contemplated as modes of carrying out the methodsdescribed herein.

In some embodiments, referred to herein as “social play-for-fun”embodiments, a player may be permitted to redeem an access token of noredeemable face value, such as, for example, points associated with aplayer account (e.g., social media account credits, online pointsassociated with a transacting account, etc.), to compress the period oftime and receive more wagering elements. The access tokens may be soldor may be given without directly exchanging money for the access tokens.For example, access tokens may be allocated to players who participatein member events (e.g., complete surveys, receive training on how toplay the wagering game, share information about the wagering game withothers), spend time participating in the wagering game or in a playeraccount forum (e.g., logged in to a social media account), or viewadvertising. Thus, an entity administering social play-for-fun wageringgames may not receive money from losing player wagers or may not take arake (e.g., a commission) on wagers, but may receive compensationthrough advertising revenue or through the purchase of access tokensredeemable for time compressions to continue play of the wagering gameor simply to increase the quantity of wagering elements available to aplayer.

After receipt of an indication that a player has stopped participatingin a play-for-fun wagering game (e.g., a free play-for-fun embodiment, asocial play-for-fun embodiment), any remaining quantities of thewagering elements may be relinquished by the player and retained by theadministrator, in some embodiments. For example, receipt of anindication that the player has logged out of a play-for-fun wageringgame administered over the Internet may cause any remaining wageringelements associated with a respective player to be lost. Thus, when theplayer rejoins the play-for-fun wagering game, the quantity of wageringelements given to the player for an allotment of time may not bear anyrelationship to the quantity of wagering elements held by the playerwhen he or she quit playing a previous session of the wagering game. Inother embodiments, upon receipt of an indication that a player hasstopped playing, the quantity of wagering elements held by the player atthat time may be retained and made available to the player, along withany additional quantities of wagering elements granted for newallotments of time, upon receipt of an indication that the player hasrejoined the wagering game.

As a specific, nonlimiting example, a free play-for-fun wagering gamemay comprise providing a quantity of valueless wagering elements usablewithin a predetermined time period to players. The players may allocateat least one valueless wagering element to a first blackjack wager. Atleast one of the players may allocate at least one valueless wageringelement to a second wager that a set of two cards to be dealt to the atleast one player will match a predetermined set of two cards, such astwo suited cards. Two cards may be dealt to each player, and the secondwager may be resolved. Additional valueless wagering elements may beawarded to at least one winning player whose set of two cards matchesthe predetermined set of two cards. A winning player may be allowed toadd at least one valueless wagering element awarded based on theresolution of the second wager to the first blackjack wager. The firstblackjack wager may then be resolved according to blackjack rules.

As another specific, nonlimiting example, a social play-for-fun wageringgame may comprise selling a quantity of valueless wagering elements to aplayer, receiving authorization from the player to allocate at least onevalueless wagering element to a first blackjack wager, receivingauthorization from the player to allocate at least one valuelesswagering element to a second wager that a set of two cards to be dealtto the at least one player will match a predetermined set of two cards,dealing two cards allocated to the player, determining whether the twocards allocated to the player match the predetermined set of two cards,resolving the second wager by awarding additional valueless wageringelements to the player whose set of two cards matches the predeterminedset of two cards, receiving authorization from the player to add atleast one valueless wagering element awarded based on the resolution ofthe second wager to the first blackjack wager of the player, andresolving the first blackjack wager according to blackjack rules. Such asocial play-for-fun wagering game may be implemented online, asdescribed herein.

The present disclosure may also be characterized as a gaming table or agaming system for administering a wagering game, comprising: a playingsurface including at least one player interface; at least one dealerinterface; and at least one processor programmed to: accept a firstwager to participate in a first wagering game according to a first setof game rules; accept a second wager to participate in a second,different wagering game according to a second, different set of gamerules; resolve the second wager according to the second set of gamerules; accept from each player in whose favor the second wager isresolved an instruction to award at least a portion of winnings from thesecond wager directly to the player or to add at least a portion ofwinnings from the second wager to the first wager; and resolve the firstwager according to the first set of game rules. The processor may beprogrammed to resolve the second wager according to whether the playerhand is of a predetermined minimum winning poker rank or higher.Examples of winning poker hands include: a straight, a pair, a straightflush, or an ace and a king of the same suit. In other examples, thesecond game may be resolved by comparing the player's two-card hand to apay table of predetermined winning combinations, such as pairs, twocards of the same suit, suited pairs, particular pairs such as pairs ofKings, Queens and Jacks, both suited and unsuited, and combinations ofplayer two-card hands and dealer two-card hands such as a dealerblackjack of a particular suit and a pair of Kings of the same suit inthe player hand. According to examples of the disclosure, processor maybe programmed to resolve the first wager according to a first set ofrules, such as blackjack, three-card poker, four-card poker, five-cardpoker, six-card poker, seven-card poker or baccarat rules.

When the second wager is resolved in favor of the player, the system mayaccept an instruction to add all or part of the winnings from the secondwager (including the initial wager) to the first wager. In examples, aninstruction to add all of the second wager winnings to the first wagermay be accepted. The processor may be programmed to treat the secondwager as optional.

The present disclosure may also be characterized as a system foradministering a wagering game over a computer network, comprising: agame engine configured to be accessed by a client server over a network,the game engine being programmed to: accept an instruction from a clientserver to place a first wager to participate in a first wagering gameaccording to a first set of game rules; accept an instruction from theclient server to place a second wager to participate in a second,different wagering game according to a second, different set of gamerules; resolve the second wager according to the second set of gamerules; accept an instruction from each player for whom the first wageris resolved favorably an instruction to award at least a portion of atleast one of the second wager and winnings from the second wagerdirectly to the player or to add all or a portion of the amounts to thefirst wager; and resolve the first wager according to the first set ofgame rules.

The system for administering a wagering game over a computer network mayalso include an online casino with one or more servers, accessible toplayers over a network such as the internet. In this embodiment, thesystem receives instructions from a user interface to accept the wagers,deliver game results and resolve the wagers. Wins are credited to playeraccounts managed by the online casino and losses are debited from theplayer accounts and credited to the casino account. Online casinos maycomprise a game engine and a client server as part of the same system.

The computer-based system may be programmed to treat the second wager asoptional or mandatory. The second wager may be resolved according towhether the two cards of each player constitute a two-card poker hand ofa predetermined rank or higher. The game engine may be programmed toresolve the second wager according to whether the two cards of eachplayer constitute a two-card poker hand of a straight, a pair, astraight flush, or an ace and a king of the same suit. The game enginemay also be programmed to determine if the initial two-card player handis one of a plurality of predetermined combinations, such as two card ofthe same rank, suited or unsuited, two specific cards of the same rank,such as two Aces, two Kings, two Queens or two Jacks, suited orunsuited, or two cards of the same suit, as nonlimiting examples. Thesewinning combinations may pay an odds payout, a fixed payout or in someinstances, a progressive payout.

In some embodiments, the game engine is programmed to resolve the firstwager according to blackjack rules. When the first game is blackjack,the game engine may be programmed to return the second wager andwinnings on the second wager to the player when the dealer hand is ablackjack. In other examples, the player loses the winnings on thesecond wager when the dealer holds a blackjack.

Embodiments of the present disclosure include electronic gaming machinesthat perform the steps of the methods described herein. For example, anelectronic gaming machine may be provided for administering a wageringgame, comprising: at least one player display and at least one playerinterface; wherein the player interface enables a player to input awager instruction; at least one processor programmed to: accept a playerfirst wager instruction to participate in a first wagering gameaccording to a first set of game rules; accept a player second wagerinstruction to participate in a second, different wagering gameaccording to a second, different set of game rules; display a gameresult; resolve the second wager according to the second set of gamerules; accept from each player in whose favor the second wager isresolved an instruction to award at least a portion of winnings from thesecond wager directly to a player account or to add at least a portionof winnings from the second wager to the first wager; and resolve thefirst wager according to the first set of game rules based on at leastthe same displayed game result.

The processor may be programmed to resolve the second wager according towhether the two cards of each player constitute a two-card poker hand ofa predetermined rank or higher. Suitable predetermined winning ranksinclude: a two-card poker hand of a straight, a pair, a straight flush,or an ace and a king of the same suit. In other embodiments, theprocessor is programmed to determine if the initial two-card player handis one of a plurality of predetermined winning combinations, such as twocards of the same rank, suited or unsuited, two specific cards of thesame rank, such as two Kings, Queens or Jacks, suited or unsuited, ortwo cards of the same suit, as nonlimiting examples. These winningcombinations may pay an odds payout, a fixed payout or in someinstances, a progressive payout. The processor may be further programmedto administer a first game of blackjack, three-card poker against adealer hand, or three-card baccarat.

The processor may be programmed to receive a signal designating a playerelection to combine all or part of the second wager winnings with thefirst wager. In some examples, an instruction to accept all amounts wonon the second wager, the amount wagered in the second wager or both tothe first wager. The second wager may be mandatory or optional. Thegaming machine may be configured for single player play or multipleplayer play. When the machine is configured for multiple player play,some examples include a common display, and multiple players may playthe same game.

When the game is an electronic gaming machine (EGM), for single playeruse, the EGM may have a display screen and inputs for enabling game playof the wagering games. EGM may be linked with other EGMs and/or othergaming devices that may be operated, for example, by other players. SomeEGMs include an upright player display that may be located on a casinofloor. Other electronic gaming devices may be portable devices that maybe carried to different locations by the player.

Referring to FIG. 7, illustrated is an example of an individualelectronic gaming device 100 (e.g., an electronic gaming machine (EGM))configured for implementation of embodiments of wagering games accordingto the present disclosure. The individual electronic gaming device 100may include an individual player position 114 that includes a playerinput area 132 configured to enable a player to interact with theindividual electronic gaming device 100 through various input devices(not shown). The input area 132 may include touch screen controls and/orbutton controls. The individual electronic gaming device 100 may includea gaming screen 174 configured to display indicia for interacting withthe individual electronic gaming device 100, such as through processingone or more programs stored in memory 140 to implement the rules of gameplay at the individual electronic gaming device 100. The screen 174 mayalso include touchscreen user controls. Accordingly, game play may beaccommodated without involving physical playing cards, physical pokerchips, and/or live personnel. The action may instead be simulated by acontrol processor 150 operably coupled to the memory 140 and interactingwith and controlling the individual electronic gaming device 100.

Although the figure has an outline of a traditional gaming cabinet, theindividual electronic gaming device 100 may be implemented in any numberof ways, including, but not limited to, client software downloaded to aportable device, such as a smart phone, tablet, or laptop personalcomputer. The individual electronic gaming device 100 may also be anon-portable personal computer (e.g., a desktop or all-in-one computer)or other computing device. In some embodiments, client software is notdownloaded but is native to the device or is otherwise delivered withthe device when distributed to a player.

A communication device 160 may be included and operably coupled to theprocessor such that information related to operation of the individualelectronic gaming device 100, information related to the game play, orcombinations thereof may be communicated between the individualelectronic gaming device 100 and other devices (not shown) through asuitable communication media, such, as, for example, wired networks,Wi-Fi networks, and cellular communication networks.

The gaming screen 174 may be carried by a generally vertically extendingcabinet 176 of the EGM 100. The EGM 100 may further include banners (notshown) configured to communicate game identity, rules of game play,bonus features, entertainment features, attract features and/or thelike, such as along a top portion 178 of the cabinet 176 of theindividual electronic gaming device 100. The individual electronicgaming device 100 may further include additional decorative lights (notshown), and speakers (not shown) for transmitting and/or receivingsounds during game play. Further detail of an example of an individualelectronic gaming device (as well as other embodiments of tables anddevices) is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/215,156,filed Aug. 22, 2011, published as U.S. Patent Publication No.2013/0053117 on Feb. 28, 2013, and titled “Methods of Managing Play ofWagering Games and Systems for Managing Play of Wagering Games,” thedisclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by thisreference.

Some embodiments may include a plurality of player stations, as shown inFIG. 9, below. Such player stations may include a common electronicdisplay screen 364 for display of game information, such as displayingvirtual cards, virtual chips, and game instructions, and for acceptingwagers and facilitating credit balance adjustments. Such player stationsmay, optionally, be integrated in a table format employing a livedealer, shown in FIG. 8. While some features may be automated throughelectronic interfaces (e.g., virtual cards, virtual chips, etc.), somefeatures may remain in the physical domain. As such, the game play maybe administered by a live dealer, a virtual dealer, with physical cards,card handling devices, physical chips or combinations thereof.

Referring to FIG. 8, a top plan view of an example of a suitable table200 configured for implementation of embodiments of wagering gamesaccording to the present disclosure is shown. The table 200 may includea playing surface 204. The table 200 may include a plurality of playerstations 212 a-212 g. Each player station 212 a-212 g may include aplayer interface 216 a-216 g, which may be used for displaying of gameinformation (e.g., game instructions, input options, wager informationincluding virtual chips, game outcomes, etc.). The player interface 216a-216 g may include a display screen in the form of a touch screen,which may in one embodiment be at least substantially flush with theplaying surface 204. Each player interface 216 a-216 g may be coupledrespectively with its own game processor 214 a-214 g (shown in dashedlines), although, in some embodiments, a central game processor 228(shown in dashed lines) may be employed and may communicate directly toplayer interfaces 416 a through 416 g. In some embodiments, acombination of individual game processors 214 a-214 g and the centralgame processor 228 may be employed.

A communication device 260 may be included and may be operably coupledto one or more of the local game processors 214 a-214 g, the centralgame processor 228, or combinations thereof, such that informationrelated to operation of the table 200, information related to the gameplay, or combinations thereof may be communicated between the table 200and other devices (not shown) through a suitable communication media,such as, for example, wired networks, Wi-Fi networks, and cellularcommunication networks.

The table 200 may further include additional features, such as a dealerchip tray 220, which may be used by the dealer to cash players in andout of the wagering game, whereas wagers and balance adjustments duringgame play may be performed electronically, and may be performed usingvirtual chips. For embodiments using physical cards 206 a, 206 b, thetable 200 may further include a card-handling device 222 that may beconfigured to shuffle, read, and deliver physical cards for the dealerand players to use during game play or, alternatively, a card shoeconfigured to read and deliver cards that have already been randomized.For embodiments using virtual cards, such virtual cards may be displayedat the individual player interfaces 216 a through 216 g. Common virtualcards may also be displayed on a common display in a common card area(not shown).

The table 200 may further include a dealer interface 218, which, likethe player interfaces 214 a-214 g, may include touch screen controls forassisting the dealer in administering the wagering game. The table 200may further include an upright display 230 configured to display imagesthat depict game information such as game identity, pay tables, handcounts, historical win/loss information by player, and a wide variety ofother information considered useful to the players. The upright display230 may be double sided to provide such information to players as wellas to provide other types of information to casino pit personnel, suchas player win/loss record, average amounts bet, previous wins/losses,etc.

Further detail of an example of a table and player displays is disclosedin U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0016050, filed Jul. 15,2008, published Jan. 21, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,262,475, issued Sep.11, 2012, and now titled “Chipless Table Split Screen Feature,” thedisclosure of each of which application and patent is incorporatedherein in its entirety by this reference. Although an embodiment isdescribed showing individual discrete player stations, in someembodiments, the entire playing surface 204 may be an electronic displaythat is logically partitioned to permit game play from a plurality ofplayers for receiving inputs from, and displaying game information to,the players, the dealer, or both.

Referring to FIG. 9, an example of a suitable multiple-player gamingmachine or table 300 configured for implementation of embodiments ofwagering games having a virtual dealer according to the presentdisclosure is shown. Games suitable for this type of machine includecard games in which all players participate in the same game, simulatinglive casino game play. The table 300 may include player positions 314a-314 e that are arranged in a bank about an arcuate edge 320 of a videodevice 358 that may comprise a common display screen 364 and a virtualdealer screen 360. The virtual dealer screen 360 may display a videosimulation of the dealer (i.e., a virtual dealer) for interacting withthe common display screen 364, such as through processing one or morestored programs stored in memory 595 to implement the rules of game playat the video device 358. The dealer screen 360 may be carried by agenerally vertically extending cabinet 362 of the video device 358. Thecommon player display screen 364 may be configured to display at leastone or more of the dealer's cards, community cards, and/or player'scards by the virtual dealer depicted on the dealer screen 360 (virtualdealer not depicted in FIG. 9).

Each of the player positions 314 a-314 e may include a player interfacearea 332 a through 332 e that is configured for wagering and game playinteractions with the video device 358 and/or virtual dealer.Accordingly, game play may be accommodated without involving physicalplaying cards, physical chips or other currency, and/or live personnel.The action may instead be simulated by a control processor 397interacting with and controlling the gaming machine 300. The controlprocessor 397 may be located internally within, or otherwise proximateto, the video device 358. The control processor 397 may be programmed,by known techniques, to implement the rules of game play at the videodevice 358. As such, the control processor 397 may interact andcommunicate with display/input interfaces and data entry inputs for eachplayer interface area 332 a through 332 e of the video device 358. Otherembodiments of tables and gaming devices may include a control processorthat may be similarly adapted to the specific configuration of itsassociated device.

A communication device 399 may be included and operably coupled to thecontrol processor 397 such that information related to operation of thetable 300, information related to the game play, or combinations thereofmay be communicated between the table 300 and other devices (not shown)through a suitable communication media, such as, for example, wirednetworks, Wi-Fi networks, and cellular communication networks.

The video device 358 may further include banners (not shown) configuredto communicate rules of play, pay tables and/or the like, which may belocated along one or more walls 370 of the cabinet 362. The video device358 may further include additional decorative lights (not shown),functional lights (not shown) and speakers (not shown), which may belocated on an underside surface 366, for example, of a generallyhorizontally depending top 368 of the cabinet 362 of the video device358 generally extending towards the player positions 314 a through 314e.

Further detail of an example of a table and player displays is disclosedin U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/764,995, filed Jan. 26, 2004,published as U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0164762 onJul. 28, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,272,958, issued Sep. 25, 2012, andtitled “Automated Multiplayer Game table with Unique Image Feed ofDealer,” the disclosure of each of which application and patent isincorporated herein in its entirety by this reference. Although anembodiment is described showing individual discrete player stations, insome embodiments, the entire playing surface (e.g., player areas 332a-332 e, card screen 364, etc.) may be one unitary electronic displaythat is logically partitioned to permit game play from a plurality ofplayers for receiving inputs from, and displaying game information to,the players, the dealer, or both.

Wagering games in accordance with embodiments of the disclosure may beadministered over the Internet, or otherwise on-line, using a gamingsystem employing a client server. Referring to FIG. 10, illustrated is aschematic block diagram of a gaming system 400 for implementing wageringgames according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The gamingsystem 400 enables end users to access proprietary and/ornon-proprietary game content. Such game content may include, withoutlimitation, various types of wagering games such as card games, dicegames, big wheel games, roulette, scratch tickets, and any otherwagering game with a randomized element in determining wageringoutcomes. This includes, but is not be limited to, Class II and ClassIII games as defined under 25 U.S.C. §2701 et seq. (“Indian GamingRegulatory Act”). Such games may include house banked, player banked andplayer pooled games.

The wagering games supported by the gaming system 400 may be operatedwith real currency or with virtual credits or other virtual (e.g.,electronic) value indicia. For example, the real currency option may beused with traditional casino and lottery-type wagering games in whichmoney or other items of value are wagered and may be cashed out at theend of a game session. Real currency includes wagering on an account.The virtual credits option may be used with wagering games in whichcredits (or other symbols or tokens) may be issued to a player to beused for the wagers. A player may be credited with credits in any wayallowed, including, but not limited to a player purchasing credits;being awarded credits as part of a contest or a win event in this oranother game (including non-wagering games); being awarded credits as areward for use of a product, casino, or other enterprise, time played inone session, or games played; or may be as simple as being awardedvirtual credits upon logging in at a particular time or with aparticular frequency, etc. Although credits may be won or lost, theability of the player to cash out credits may be controlled orprevented. In one example, credits purchased for use in a play for fungame may be limited to non-monetary redemption items, awards, or creditsusable in the future or for another game or gaming session. The samecredit redemption restrictions may be applied to some or all of creditswon in a wagering game as well.

An additional variation includes web-based sites having bothplay-for-fun and wagering games, including issuance of free(non-monetary) credits usable to play the play-for-fun games. This mayattract players to the site and to the games before they engage in realwagering. In some embodiments, a limited number free or promotionalcredits may be issued to entice players to play the games. Anothermethod of issuing credits includes issuing free credits in exchange foridentifying friends who may want to play. In another embodiment,additional credits may be issued after a period of time has elapsed toencourage the player to resume playing the game. The gaming system 400may enable players to buy additional game credits to allow the player toresume play. Objects of value may be awarded to play for fun players,which may or may not be in a direct exchange for credits. For example, aprize may be awarded or won for a highest scoring play for fun playerduring a defined time interval. All variations of credit redemption arecontemplated, as desired by game designers and game hosts (the person orentity controlling the hosting systems).

The gaming system 400 may include a gaming platform that establishes aportal for an end user to access a wagering game hosted by a game server406 through a user interaction server 402. The user device 420 maycommunicate with a user interaction server 402 of the gaming system 400using a network 430 (e.g., the Internet). The user interaction server402 may communicate with the game server 406 and provide gameinformation to the user. In some embodiments, the game server 406 mayalso be a game engine. In some embodiments, a single user device 420communicates with a game provided by the game server 406, while otherembodiments may include a plurality of user devices 420 configured tocommunicate and provide end users with access to the same game providedby game server 406. In addition, a plurality of end users may bepermitted to access a single user interaction server 402, or, aplurality of user interaction servers 402 to access the game server 406.

The user interaction server 402 may communicate with the user device 420to enable access to the gaming system 400. The user interaction server402 may enable a user to create and access a user account and interactwith game server 406. The user interaction server 402 may enable usersto initiate new games, join existing games, and interface with gamesbeing played by the user.

The user interaction server 402 may also provide a client 422 forexecution on the user device for accessing the gaming system 400. Theclient 422 provided by the gaming system 400 for execution on the userdevice 420 can comprise a variety of implementations according to theuser device and method of communication with the gaming system 400. Inone embodiment, the user device 420 connects to the gaming system 400using a web browser, and the client 422 executes within a browser windowor frame of the web browser. In another embodiment, the client 422 is astand-alone executable on the user device 420.

In one embodiment, the client 422 may comprise a relatively small amountof script (e.g., JAVASCRIPT®), also referred to as a “script driver,”including scripting language that controls an interface of the client422. The script driver may include simple function calls requestinginformation from the gaming system 400. In other words, the scriptdriver stored in the client 422 may merely include calls to functionsthat are externally defined by, and executed by, the gaming system 400.As a result, the client 422 may be characterized as a “thin client.” Asthat term is used herein, the client 422 may be little more than ascript player. The client 422 may simply send requests to the gamingsystem 400 rather than performing logic itself. The client 422 receivesplayer inputs, and the player inputs are passed to the gaming system 400for processing and executing the wagering game. In one embodiment, thisincludes providing specific graphical display information to client 422as well as game outcomes.

In other embodiments, the client 422 comprises an executable file ratherthan a script. In that case, client 422 may do more local processingthan does a script driver, such as calculating where to show what gamesymbols upon receiving a game outcome from game server 406 through userinteraction server 402. In one embodiment, it may be that portions of anasset server 404 are loaded onto the client 422 and used by the clientin processing and updating graphical displays. Due to security andintegrity concerns, most embodiments will have the bulk of theprocessing of the game play performed in the gaming system 400. However,some embodiments may include significant game processing by client 422when the client and user device 420 are considered trustworthy, or, whenthere is reduced concern for security and integrity in the displayedgame outcome. In most embodiments, it is expected that some form of dataprotection, such as end-to-end encryption, will be used when data istransported over network 430. Network 430 may be any network, including,but not limited, to the Internet, or a casino network.

In an embodiment where the client 422 implements further logic and gamecontrol methodology beyond the thin client, the client 422 may parse anddefine player interactions prior to passing the player interactions tothe gaming system 400. Likewise, when the client 422 receives a gaminginteraction from the gaming system 400, the client 422 may be configuredto determine how to modify the display as a result of the gaminginteraction. The client 422 may also allow the player to change aperspective or otherwise interact with elements of the display that donot change aspects of the game.

The gaming system 400 may include an asset server 404, which may hostvarious media assets (e.g., audio, video, and image files) that may besent to the client 422 for presenting the various wagering games to theend user. In other words, in this embodiment, the assets presented tothe end user may be stored separately from the client 422. In oneembodiment, the client 422 requests the assets appropriate for the gameplayed by the user; in other embodiments, especially those using thinclients, just those assets that are needed for a particular displayevent will be sent by game server 406 when the game server 406determines they are needed, including as few as one asset. In oneexample, the client 422 may call a function defined at the userinteraction server 402 or asset server 404, which may determine whichassets are to be delivered to the client 422 as well as how the assetsare to be presented by the client 422 to the end user. Different assetsmay correspond to the various clients that may have access to the gameengine 406 or to different games to be played.

The game server 406 is configured to perform game play methods anddetermine game play outcomes that are provided to the user interactionserver 402 to be transmitted to the user device 420 for display on theend user's computer. For example, the game server 406 may include gamerules for one or more wagering games, such that the game server 406controls some or all of the game flow for a selected wagering game aswell as the determined game outcomes. The game server 406 may includepay tables, game rules, and other game logic. The game server 406 mayalso perform random number generation for determining random gameelements of the wagering game. In other embodiments, random gameelements are generated in a separate server (not shown). In oneembodiment, the game server 406 is separated from the user interactionserver 402 by a firewall or other method of preventing unauthorizedaccess to the game server 406 from the general members of the network430.

The user device 420 may present a gaming interface to the player andcommunicate the user interaction to the gaming system 400. The userdevice 420 may be any electronic system capable of displaying gaminginformation, receiving user input, and communicating the user input tothe gaming system 400. As such, the user device 420 can be a desktopcomputer, a laptop, tablet computer, set-top box, mobile device(including, but not limited to, a smart phone), kiosk, terminal, orother computing device. The user device 420 may operate the client 422for connecting to the interactive gaming system 400, as described above.The client 422 may be a specialized application or may be executedwithin a generalized application capable of interpreting instructionsfrom an interactive gaming system, such as a web browser.

The client 422 may interface with an end user through a web page or anapplication that runs on a device including, but not limited, to asmartphone, tablet, or general computer, or the client 422 may, be anyother computer program configurable to access the gaming system 400. Theclient 422 may be illustrated within a casino webpage (or otherinterface) indicating that the client 422 is embedded into a webpage,which is supported by a web browser executing on the client device 420.

In one embodiment, the gaming system 400 may be accessed and/or operatedby multiple different entities. The user device 420 may be operated by athird party, such as a casino or an individual, that links to the gamingsystem 400, which may be operated, for example, by a wagering gameservice provider. Therefore, in some embodiments, the user device 420and client 422 may be operated by a different administrator than theoperator of the game server 406. In other words, the user device 420 maybe part of a third-party system that does not administer or otherwisecontrol the gaming system 400 or game server 406. In another embodiment,the user interaction server 402 and asset server 404 are provided by athird-party system. For example, a gaming entity (e.g., a casino) mayoperate the user interaction server 402 or user device 420 to provideits customers access to game content managed by a different entity thatmay control game server 406, amongst other functionality. In someembodiments, these functions are operated by the same administrator. Forexample, a gaming entity (e.g., a casino) may elect to perform each ofthese functions in-house, such as providing both the access to the userdevice 420 and the actual game content and providing administration ofthe gaming system 400.

The gaming system 400 may communicate with external account servers 410,optionally through another firewall. For example, the gaming system 400itself may not directly accept wagers or issue payouts. That is, thegaming system 400 may facilitate online casino gaming but may not bepart of a self-contained online casino itself Instead, the gaming system400 may facilitate the play of wagering games owned and controlled by acompany offering games and gaming products and services, such as SHFLentertainment, Inc. Another entity (e.g., a casino or any account holderor financial system of record) may operate and maintain its externalaccount servers 410 to accept bets and make payout distributions. Thegaming system 400 may communicate with the account servers 410 to verifythe existence of funds for wagering and to instruct the account server410 to execute debits and credits.

In some embodiments, the gaming system 400 may directly accept bets andmake payout distributions, such as in the case where an administrator ofthe gaming system 400 operates as a casino. As discussed above, thegaming system 400 may be integrated within the operations of a casinorather than separating out functionality (e.g., game content, game play,credits, debits, etc.) among different entities. In addition, for playfor fun wagering games, the gaming system 400 may issue credits, takebets, and manage the balance of the credits according to the gameoutcomes, but the gaming system 400 may not permit payout distributionsor be linked to account server 410 that permits payout distributions.Such credits may be issued for free, through purchase, or for otherreasons, without the ability for the player to cash out. Suchplay-for-fun wagering games may be played on platforms that do notpermit traditional gambling, such as to comply with jurisdictions thatdo not permit online gambling.

The gaming system 400 may be configured in many ways, from a fullyintegrated single system to a distributed server architecture. The assetserver 404, the user interaction server 402, the game server 406, andthe account server 410 may be configured as a single, integrated systemof code modules running on a single server or machine, where each of theservers is functionality implemented on a single machine. In such acase, the functionality described herein may not be implemented asseparate code modules. The asset server 404, the user interaction server402, the game server 406, and the account server 410 may also beimplemented as a plurality of independent servers, each using its owncode modules running on a separate physical machine, and may furtherinclude one or more firewalls between selected servers (depending onsecurity needs). Each server could communicate over some kind ofnetworked connection, potentially as varied as that described fornetwork 430. Further, each single server may be implemented as aplurality of servers with load balancing and scalability factors builtinto the embodiment. All such embodiments and variations are fullycontemplated.

Additional features may be supported by the game server 406, such ashacking and cheating detection, data storage and archival, metricsgeneration, messages generation, output formatting for different enduser devices, as well as other features and operations. For example, thegaming system 400 may include additional features and configurations asdescribed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/353,194, filed Jan. 18,2012, and application Ser. No. 13/609,031, filed Sep. 10, 2012, bothtitled “Network Gaming Architecture, Gaming Systems, and RelatedMethods,” the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference hereinin their entireties by this reference.

The network 430 may enable communications between the user device 420and the gaming system 400. A network (not shown) may also connect thegaming system 400 and account server 410, and further one or morenetworks may interconnect one or more of the other servers showncollectively as the game system 400. In one embodiment, the network 430uses standard communications technologies and/or protocols. Thus, thenetwork 430 can include links using technologies such as Ethernet,802.11, worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WIMAX®), 3G,digital subscriber line (DSL), asynchronous transfer mode (ATM),InfiniBand, PCI Express Advanced Switching, etc. Similarly, thenetworking protocols used on the network 430 can include multiprotocollabel switching (MPLS), the transmission control protocol/Internetprotocol (TCP/IP), the User Datagram Protocol (UDP), the hypertexttransport protocol (HTTP), the simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), thefile transfer protocol (FTP), etc. The data exchanged over the network430 can be represented using technologies and/or formats including thehypertext markup language (HTML), the extensible markup language (XML),etc. In addition, all or some of links can be encrypted usingconventional encryption technologies such as secure sockets layer (SSL),transport layer security (TLS), virtual private networks (VPNs),Internet Protocol security (IPsec), etc. In another embodiment, theentities can use custom and/or dedicated data communicationstechnologies instead of, or in addition to, the ones described above.Depending upon the embodiment, the network 430 can include linkscomprising one or more networks such as the Internet.

Referring to FIG. 11, a high-level block diagram of a computer 500 foracting as the gaming system 400 according to one embodiment is shown.Illustrated are at least one processor 502 coupled to a chipset 504, asindicated in dashed lines. Also coupled to the chipset 504 are memory506, a storage device 508, a keyboard 510, a graphics adapter 512, apointing device 514, and a network adapter 516. A display 518 is coupledto the graphics adapter 512. In one embodiment, the functionality of thechipset 504 is provided by a memory controller hub 520 and an I/Ocontroller hub 522. In another embodiment, the memory 506 is coupleddirectly to the processor 502 instead of to the chipset 504.

The storage device 508 is any non-transitory computer-readable storagemedium, such as a hard drive, compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), aDVD, or a solid-state memory device (e.g., a flash drive). The memory506 holds instructions and data used by the processor 502. The pointingdevice 514 may be a mouse, track ball, or another type of pointingdevice, and it is used in combination with the keyboard 510 to inputdata into the computer system 500. The graphics adapter 512 displaysimages and other information on the display 518. The network adapter 516couples the computer system 500 to a local or wide area network.

As is known in the art, the computer system 540 can have differentand/or other components than those shown in FIG. 11. In addition, thecomputer system 540 can lack certain illustrated components. In oneembodiment, the computer 540 acting as the gaming system 400 (FIG. 10)lacks the keyboard 510, pointing device 514, graphics adapter 512,and/or display 518. Moreover, the storage device 508 can be local and/orremote from the computer system 540 (such as embodied within a storagearea network (SAN)). Moreover, other input devices, such as, forexample, touch screens, may be included.

The network adapter 516 (which may also be referred to as acommunication device) may include one or more devices for communicatingusing one or more of the communication media and protocols discussedabove with respect to FIG. 10. In addition, some or all of thecomponents of this general computer system 500 of FIG. 11 may be used aspart of the processor and memory discussed above with respect to thesystems of FIGS. 7, 8, and 9.

The gaming system 400 (FIG. 10) may comprise several such computersystems 540. The gaming system 400 may include load balancers,firewalls, and various other components for assisting the gaming system400 to provide services to a variety of user devices.

As is known in the art, the computer system 540 is adapted to executecomputer program modules for providing functionality described herein.As used herein, the term “module” refers to computer program logicutilized to provide the specified functionality. Thus, a module can beimplemented in hardware, firmware, and/or software. In one embodiment,program modules are stored on the storage device 508, loaded into thememory 506, and executed by the processor 502.

Embodiments of the entities described herein can include other and/ordifferent modules than the ones described here. In addition, thefunctionality attributed to the modules can be performed by other ordifferent modules in other embodiments. Moreover, this descriptionoccasionally omits the term “module” for purposes of clarity andconvenience.

Some portions of the detailed description are presented in terms ofalgorithms (e.g., as represented in flowcharts, prose descriptions, orboth) and symbolic representations of operations on data bits within acomputer memory. These algorithmic descriptions and representations arethe means used by those skilled in the data processing arts to mosteffectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in theart. An algorithm is here, and generally, conceived to be aself-consistent sequence of steps (instructions) leading to a desiredresult. The steps are those requiring physical manipulations of physicalquantities. Usually, though not necessarily, these quantities take theform of electrical, magnetic, or optical signals capable of beingstored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated. Itis convenient at times, principally for reasons of common usage, torefer to these signals as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters,terms, numbers, or the like. Furthermore, it is also convenient at timesto refer to certain arrangements of steps requiring physicalmanipulations or transformation of physical quantities orrepresentations of physical quantities as modules or code devices,without loss of generality.

However, all of these and similar tennis are to be associated with theappropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels appliedto these quantities. Unless specifically stated otherwise as apparentfrom the following discussion, it is appreciated that throughout thedescription, discussions utilizing terms such as “processing,”“computing,” “calculating,” “determining,” “displaying,” “determining,”or the like, refer to the action and processes of a computer system, orsimilar electronic computing device (such as a specific computingmachine), that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical(electronic) quantities within the computer system memories or registersor other such information storage, transmission, or display devices.

Certain aspects of the embodiments include process steps andinstructions described herein in the form of an algorithm. It should benoted that the process steps and instructions of the embodiments can beembodied in software, firmware, or hardware, and, when embodied insoftware, could be downloaded to reside on and be operated fromdifferent platforms used by a variety of operating systems. Theembodiments can also be in a computer program product that can beexecuted on a computing system.

Some embodiments also relate to an apparatus for performing theoperations herein. Such an apparatus may be specially constructed forthe purposes, e.g., a specific computer, or it may comprise ageneral-purpose computer selectively activated or reconfigured by acomputer program stored in the computer. Such a computer program may bestored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as, but is notlimited to, any type of disk including floppy disks, optical disks,CD-ROMs, magnetic-optical disks, read-only memories (ROMs), randomaccess memories (RAMs), EPROMs, EEPROMs, magnetic or optical cards,application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), FPGA or any type ofmedia suitable for storing electronic instructions, and each coupled toa computer system bus. Memory can include any of the above and/or otherdevices that can store information/data/programs and can be transient ornon-transient medium, where a non-transient or non-transitory medium caninclude memory/storage that stores information for more than a minimalduration. Furthermore, the computers referred to in the specificationmay include a single processor or may be architectures employingmultiple processor designs for increased computing capability.

The algorithms and displays presented herein are not inherently relatedto any particular computer or other apparatus. Various general-purposesystems may also be used with programs in accordance with the teachingsherein, or it may prove convenient to construct more specializedapparatus to perform the method steps. The structure for a variety ofthese systems will appear from the description herein. In addition, theembodiments are not described with reference to any particularprogramming language. It will be appreciated that a variety ofprogramming languages may be used to implement the teachings of theembodiments as described herein, and any references herein to specificlanguages are provided for disclosure of enablement and best mode.

With reference to FIG. 12, an example of a wagering game implemented asa scratch card 700 as an on-line game or lottery-type scratch ticket isshown. A player may purchase a physical scratch card 700 or may access avirtually displayed scratch card 700. In some embodiments, averification code 702 may be displayed (e.g., printed) on the scratchcard 700 to indicate whether a player made the first wager andoptionally the amount of the first wager, for example, where the amountof the first wager is not fixed by the seller. In other embodiments, aportion of the purchase price of the scratch card 700 may be mandatorilyallocated to the first wager and a remainder of the purchase price ofthe scratch card 700 may be mandatorily allocated to the second wager.For example, 33% of the purchase price may be allocated to the firstwager and 67% of the purchase price may be allocated to the secondwager.

In some embodiments, the player may then scratch off an opaque coveringover an area 704 to reveal individual images of cards that may be saidto have been dealt to the player. In other embodiments, the player mayscratch off individual opaque coverings over distinct areas of a virtualscratch card 700 to reveal two images of cards that may be said to havebeen dealt to the player. Such scratching off, and other scratchingdescribed below, may involve scraping physical opaque coverings from aphysical scratch card 700 or may involve digitally concealing andsubsequently digitally revealing (e.g., displaying a blank area andsubsequently displaying card values in that area) electronic images onan electronic image of a scratch card 700. If the suit and rank of thecards dealt to the player constitute a royal flush, a straight flush, apair, or a straight, then the first wager is resolved in the player'sfavor. In some embodiments, such a first set of rules for resolving thefirst wager may be displayed on the scratch card 700. If the suit andrank of cards dealt to the player do not constitute a winning two-cardpoker hand, the player loses at least the amount of the first wager.

In some embodiments, the player may select whether to risk or keepwinnings from the first wager (and optionally the amount of the firstwager itself) at the time of purchase, and the player's selection may bedisplayed (e.g., printed) using another verification code 706 on thescratch card 700. In other embodiments, a player may indicate whether hewould like to keep or to risk an entire amount of the winnings(optionally including the first wager) by scratching off an appropriatelabel, one label to retain them and another label to add them to thesecond wager. Such a scratch card 700 may require supervision to ensurethat a player scratches off the labels in the proper order (i.e., afterscratching off the appropriate area 704 or areas for the player's cardsand before scratching off any other areas 708 for the dealer's cards).

In some embodiments, the player may then scratch one of a plurality ofother opaque coverings over a plurality of other areas 708 (e.g., 3, 4,5, etc.) to reveal individual total combined card rankings of cards thatmay be said to have been dealt to the dealer. In other embodiments, theplayer may scratch off a single opaque covering over an area of thescratch card 700 to reveal two images of cards that may be said to havebeen dealt to the dealer or may scratch off two opaque coverings overtwo areas among a plurality of areas to reveal two individual cards thatmay be said to have been dealt to the dealer. In some embodiments, thescratch card 700 may comprise additional opaque coverings overadditional areas 710 (e.g., 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.) to reveal individual hitcards that may be said to have been dealt to the player. Such aconfiguration may enable a player to make and resolve the first wagerusing only the cards in the area 704, to evaluate the dealer's hand, andto elect to stand using only the cards in the area 704 or to hit andplay with one or more of the additional cards in the additional areas710. If the combined rank of the player's cards is greater than thecombined rank of the dealer's cards according to the rules of blackjack,without exceeding 21, then the second wager is resolved in the player'sfavor. The player may redeem the scratch card 700 for the appropriateamount of winnings. If the combined rank of the player's cards is lessthan the combined rank of the dealer's cards, then the scratch card 700may only be redeemed for value in embodiments where the player won thefirst wager and elected to keep the winnings from the first wager (andoptionally the first wager itself).

While certain illustrative embodiments have been described in connectionwith the figures, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize andappreciate that embodiments encompassed by the disclosure are notlimited to those embodiments explicitly shown and described herein.Rather, many additions, deletions, and modifications to the embodimentsdescribed herein may be made without departing from the scope ofembodiments encompassed by the disclosure, such as those hereinafterclaimed, including legal equivalents. In addition, features from onedisclosed embodiment may be combined with features of another disclosedembodiment while still being encompassed within the scope of embodimentsencompassed by the disclosure as contemplated by the inventors.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of administering a wagering game,comprising: accepting a first wager to participate in a first wageringgame of blackjack; accepting a second wager to participate in a secondwagering game of whether two cards to be dealt to a player form at leastone of a predetermined winning combination; dealing the two cards to theplayer; resolving the second wager according to whether the two cardsdealt to the player form a predetermined winning combination; acceptingfrom the player an instruction to add at least a portion of winningsfrom the second wager to the first wager; adding the at least a portionof winnings from the second wager to the first wager; and resolving thefirst wager according to blackjack rules.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein the predetermined winning combination is selected from the groupconsisting of: a straight, a flush, two cards of the same color, twoblack cards, two red cards, two cards of the same suit, a straightflush, a pair, a pair of the same suit, a pair of different suits, apair of aces, a pair of aces of the same suit, a pair of aces ofdifferent suits, a pair of kings, a pair of kings of the same suit, apair of kings of different suits, a pair of queens, a pair of queens ofthe same suit, a pair of queens of different suits, an ace and a king ofthe same suit, a king and a queen of the same suit, and any combinationthereof.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wagering game isadministered using one or more card decks, wherein the number of thecard decks is selected from the group consisting of one deck, two decks,three decks, four decks, five decks, six decks, seven decks, and eightdecks.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined winningcombination is two cards of the same suit.
 5. The method of claim 4,wherein the second wager is resolved according to the following fixedodds pay table: Hand Odds King-Queen Suited 15 to 1 Any Other Pair ofTwo Suited Cards 2 to 1


6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a hit or standdetermination from the player according to blackjack rules and whereinresolving the second wager is performed before receiving the hit orstand determination.
 7. The method of claim 1, further comprisingreceiving a hit or stand determination from the player according toblackjack rules and wherein resolving the second wager is performedafter receiving the hit or stand determination.
 8. The method of claim1, wherein the first wager is accepted prior to accepting the secondwager.
 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing the playeran option to add at least a portion of winnings from the second wager tothe first wager.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein accepting from theplayer an instruction to add at least a portion of winnings from thesecond wager to the first wager comprises accepting from the player aninstruction to add all of the winnings from the second wager to thefirst wager.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein accepting from theplayer an instruction to add at least a portion of winnings from thesecond wager to the first wager comprises accepting from the player aninstruction to add only a portion of the winnings from the second wagerto the first wager.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the predeterminedwinning combination is selected from the group consisting of a pair, apair of the same suit, and a pair of different suits.
 13. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the predetermined winning combination is selected fromthe group consisting of a pair of kings; a pair of kings of the samesuit; a pair of kings of a particular suit; a pair of kings of differentsuits; two cards of the same suit each selected from the groupconsisting of a 10, a jack, and a queen; two cards having a combinedblackjack point value of twenty; two suited cards having a combinedblackjack point value of twenty; and two unsuited cards having acombined blackjack point value of twenty.
 14. The method of claim 1,wherein resolving the first wager comprises resolving the accepted firstwager and the at least a portion of winnings from the second wager addedto the first wager.
 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the second wageris resolved according to the following fixed odds pay table: Hand Payoutodds Payout odds Payout odds Suited Pairs 15 to 1 20 to 1 Any Pair 7 to1 8 to 1 11 to 1 No. of Decks 4, 6, or 8 2 1


16. The method of claim 1, wherein second wager is resolved according tothe following fixed odds pay table: Hand Payout 2 King of Spades withDealer BJ 1000 to 1 2 King of Spades 75 to 1* 2 Suited Kings 25 to 1* 2Suited Queens, Jacks or Ten's 10 to 1* Suited 20 6 to 1* 2 Offsuit Kings4 to 1* Unsuited 20 2 to 1* *Based on player's first two cards only


17. The method of claim 1, further comprising dealing two cards to adealer position, wherein resolving the second wager further comprisesdetermining whether the two cards in the dealer position and the twocards dealt to the player form a predetermined winning combination ofhands.
 18. A method of administering a wagering game, comprising:accepting a first wager to participate in a first wagering game ofblackjack; after accepting the first wager, accepting a second wager toparticipate in a second wagering game of whether two cards to be dealtto a player form a predetermined winning two-card hand; dealing the twocards to the player; adding a payout to the second wager to form secondwager proceeds based on the two cards dealt to the player forming thepredetermined winning two-card hand; allowing the player an option toreceive payment of all of the second wager proceeds, add a portion ofthe second wager proceeds to the first wager and receive payment of aremaining portion of the second wager proceeds, or add all of the secondwager proceeds to the first wager; and resolving the first wageraccording to blackjack rules.
 19. The method of claim 18, furthercomprising: receiving from the player an indication to pay all of thesecond wager proceeds to the player, add a portion of the second wagerproceeds to the first wager and pay a remaining portion of the secondwager proceeds to the player, or add all the second wager proceeds tothe first wager; and according to the indication, paying all of thesecond wager proceeds to the player, adding the portion of the secondwager proceeds to the first wager and paying the remaining portion ofthe second wager proceeds to the player, or adding all of the secondwager proceeds to the first wager.
 20. The method of claim 19, whereinreceiving from the player an indication comprises receiving from theplayer an indication to add at least a portion of the second wagerproceeds to the first wager.
 21. The method of claim 20, whereinresolving the first wager comprises resolving the accepted first wagerand the at least a portion of the second wager proceeds added to thefirst wager.
 22. The method of claim 18, further comprising: dealinganother two cards to a dealer; and determining that the another twocards dealt to the dealer does not have a combined blackjack point valueof twenty-one.
 23. A gaming table for administering a wagering game,comprising: a playing surface including at least one player interface;and at least one processor programmed to: accept a first wager toparticipate in a first wagering game of blackjack; accept a second wagerto participate in a second wagering game of whether two cards to bedealt to a player form a predetermined winning combination; resolve thesecond wager according to whether the two cards dealt to the player forma predetermined winning combination; accept from each player in whosefavor the second wager is resolved an instruction to award at least aportion of winnings from the second wager directly to the player or toadd at least a portion of winnings from the second wager to the firstwager; and resolve the first wager according to blackjack rules.
 24. Thegaming table of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor isprogrammed to resolve the second wager according to whether the twocards of the player are a queen and a king of the same suit or are twocards of the same suit other than a king and a queen.
 25. A method ofadministering a wagering game over a network, comprising: receiving atthe user interaction server authorization from each player to accept afirst wager on a blackjack game; receiving at the user interactionserver authorization from at least one player to accept a second wageron the occurrence of at least the first two player cards are of apredetermined winning rank; sending from the user interaction serverrank and suit information for at least two cards allocated to eachplayer; resolving at a game server the second wager by awarding a payoutto at least one winning player whose two cards form a predeterminedwinning rank; receiving at the user interaction server authorizationfrom the at least one winning player to add at least a portion of apayout awarded on the second wager to the first wager; and resolving ata game server the first blackjack wager according to blackjack rules.